When Chris P asked “Is there such a thing or is either Elegant Glass or Depression Glass?” that inspired a series introducing elegant glass and depression glass. After all, there are new folks discovering our beautiful glass and we need to welcome them. You can read the first two posts here: What Is Depression Glass? Introduction to Colored Glassware of the Depression Era and What Is Depression Glass? Myths and Misconceptions
Today let’s look at elegant glass.
When you think of elegant glass, think good glass. This is the fine crystal or lovely glass dinnerware or candle holders or bowls, vases, candy dishes and more, made with high quality glass and quite a bit of skilled artisan hand work. Some elegant glass is colored while even more is clear crystal. Both the colored and clear glass is crystal, with some amount of lead in the glass formula.
Elegant glass can be etched, like the Fostoria Chintz etched crystal comport shown above, or pressed, as the Duncan Miller Sylvan candy dish shown next, or cut or plain.
Some pieces have gorgeous, fanciful designs that just call out to be held and used and admired, while others are quite plain, letting the quality of the glass speak for itself. This blog covers glass from the early 1920s up to about 1980, concentrating on American companies like Cambridge, Fostoria, Heisey, Tiffin, Duncan Miller. All these firms went out of business between 1950 and 1985, leaving us their exquisite glass.
